In a way, Frank Sinatra is the reason why Meera Munjal and Jimmy Luo are married today. “We met at a friend’s party in New York City in September 2017. We stayed in touch through the occasional comment on social media. In April 2018, Jimmy asked me out for dinner. I went out of respect for him and was fully prepared to never see him again,” Meera recalls. The New Delhi-born, New York-based consultant was certain she would eventually end up with a tall, Punjabi, Indian man. “Jimmy was very much not that. But over dinner, I realised just how alike we were in our quest for being better—as humans more than anything else. Jimmy was honest, charming, and empathetic. It felt like dinner with an old friend. It was comfortable, real, but also exciting. As we left, we were talking about our shared love for jazz. That’s when, on a cool spring night in New York, in the middle of a quiet street, Jimmy serenaded me to ‘Fly Me To The Moon’ by Frank Sinatra and I knew I was in trouble.”
Three years into the relationship, the duo had decided to seal the deal with a ceremony in 2021. Meera wasn’t expecting Jimmy to get down on one knee. “I had told him I didn’t want a proposal, and I didn’t think we were going to exchange rings until the wedding. Jimmy had other plans though. He sought my parents’ blessing and surprised me with a ring on a walk in Gantry Park, one of our favourite places in NYC. The proposal came as a real surprise because I hadn’t showered and was still wearing my workout clothes. It was perfect because it was true to him. Nothing outrageous or flashy. No orchestrated photographers, musicians, flower arrangements, meals, and flash mobs. Just us.”
For Meera, Jimmy meeting her parents was the most heartwarming and special interaction. “Jimmy disarmed my entire family by touching everyone’s feet. My parents think most people are good but to be good enough for their daughters, you need to demonstrate intellectual depth and breadth, empathy, and politeness. Jimmy checked all the boxes. It warms my heart to see them having long conversations with each other.”
The Mehndi
The celebrations started off with a playful mehndi on November 28, 2022 in the afternoon for the 85 guests who flew from all across the world. “I wore a red lehenga by Debyani. It was an unconventional choice, but knew I wanted to wear a red lehenga for my mehndi because I wasn’t wearing all red for my ceremony and still wanted to have a traditional red outfit.”
My search ended very quickly with Debyani. It also went perfectly with my Gulab Bagh themed mehndi, with the smell of rose and jasmine ittar in the air, rose motifs all around me, rose petals scattered in the centuries old marble fountain, roses lining the path to the venue, and delicate, hand embroidered flowers on my red lehenga.”
The Sangeet
The festivities continued till late night with a glamorous sangeet that was full of dance performances and speeches. Meera leaned on her mother’s favourite colour, ivory for her look. “Wearing a custom ivory lehenga felt like a natural choice. The lehenga, dupatta, and blouse were encrusted with pearls and beaded with cutdana throughout. It was glamorous and modern but in a ‘Cocktail Party in Calcutta in the early 20th Century’ type of way.”
“For the dancing part, I swapped the skirt with a pair of pants from Aritzia. Best decision ever!”
The Haldi
The couple didn’t refrain from hosting a fun-filled haldi ceremony for their 85 guests who flew from across the world for their union. “I wore a fuschia pink kurta set from Meena Bazaar, a departure from the traditional yellow and orange. Jimmy wore a yellow Fabindia kurta and white pants,” remembers the bride.
The Details
“We picked Samode Palace as the wedding venue because of its beauty—it’s a moment in time, nestled in the Aravalis range. We didn’t want OTT décor to take away from the hills or architecture. The brief we gave to the hotel and our design team was ‘living room’. We had a small guest list and the last thing we wanted was grand structures and seating arrangements that would force people apart from each other. We wanted them to feel like they were in our home, albeit a stunning 500-year-old, perfectly preserved palace home. That meant no western aisle-style seating, no stage, no major events around pool, and no dinners across large lawns.”
“We leaned into the culture with custom block printed table covers and throw pillows made for us in Sanganer, oil lamps, local flowers and fruit for table settings and local pampas grass that grows wild on the Delhi-Jaipur highway. Everything was designed and executed to perfection by The Girl With Ideas.” Wedding photographer and videographer, Himanshu Patel behind Epic Stories was enlisted to capture the moments, big and small. The celebrity-favourite expert, known for his editorial style of reportage, documented the special occasion that looked straight out of a film.
The Hindu Wedding
“The pheras are the most sacred part of a Hindu ceremony. I wanted an experience that we would share with our friends and family from beginning to end.” It’s why the couple decided to celebrate their union with an unscripted wedding. “I didn’t even have my bridal entrance song picked out until moments before I walked. The serenity of our pheras—our friends and family seated around us, santoor vadan in the background as the priest recited the Sanskrit shlokas, temple bells ringing at every phera—it was perfect.”
Sharing details of her bridal outfit, Meera shares, “Despite being a Sikh woman, my mother wore a sari for her own wedding. I opted for a Sabyasachi lehenga and a tissue dupatta that was draped like a sari on top. Jimmy wore custom Gaurav Mulchandani.” Meera chose a classic polki and emerald choker with matching earrings, kadas and mathapatti for the ceremony. The groom complemented her in an ivory sherwani.
The Wow Moments
There were a number of memorable moments. For Meera, the wow moment was “when I was waving to the baraat from a little jharokha style window on the first floor, as Jimmy ascended the steps and stood there, waiting for me. I asked him, cheekily, how long he would wait. ‘Forever’, he said.” One of Jimmy’s favourite parts was their couple dance together. “We enjoyed it so much!”
The Bride’s Checklist
The Bride: Meera Munjal
The Groom: Jimmy Luo
Wedding venue: Samode Palace, Jaipur
Wedding décor: The Girl With Ideas
Bride’s outfits: Sabyasachi, Debyani, Artizia
Venue: Samode Palace, Jaipur
Catering: Samode Palace
Photographer & Videographer: Epic Stories
Makeup: Raveen Anand
Hair: Hair by Deepak
Entertainment: DJ Sukhbir
